Short Springs Class 1 Scenic-Recreation Area is 3.5 miles north of Tullahoma, TN and about a 1.5-hour drive from Chattanooga. Wednesday (8-11-21) Karen announced that she was going for a walk. I suggested we drive up to Tullahoma and hike in the 420-acre park instead. It turned out to be a splendid idea.
Machine Falls is the star of the show and it’s loop trail with the Busby Falls side trail was a little over four miles. A very steep, rocky and rooty, natural staircase leading down to the falls was the most challenging part of the trek.
Picking the right time to visit waterfalls can be tricky. You want plenty of water flowing, but too much can be a hazard. We rock-hopped in the creek bed from the distant bridge in the picture to access the base of Machine Falls. Deeper water would have made this a tough slog.
On the underside of the sculpted bank on the left side of the picture are 100s of white, clumps. They are individual spider webs that shimmer with moisture from mist Machine Falls creates.
Walking in the watercourse below a waterfall illustrates the incredible power moving water generates.
It was a hot, humid day, but walking around the last bend in the creek, we were hit with a wall of coolness created by Machine Fall’s mist trapped in the shaded gulf. It was unbelievably refreshing.
The stair-stepped shale made climbing up to get a closer look at the falls easy. It’s a 60′ X 60′ foot wonder in the wilderness.
Hiking on a Wednesday meant we had this place all to ourselves. We basked in the falls’ chilly embrace and enjoyed our lunch on a log.
It was a hot, sticky hike to Busby Falls. This overlook was as close at we got to what was more like a 50-foot cascade than a waterfall. Still, it was prettier than the picture.
The footbridge over Bobo Creek revealed an awesome section of exposed black Chattanooga Shale. Nature’s cuts were so clean they looked quarried.
Even though our hike was well shaded, we were hot, tired and thirsty when we got back to the car. The only brewery in Tullahoma was closed. We went to the Beans Creek Winery in Coffee County instead. We met the current Wine Maker, Josh Brown. He took over the business his father founded 40-years ago.
Josh told me his guy friends preferred beer over wine, so he stocked Tullahoma’s own Ole Shed brews. Both were fine ways to slake the thirst of weary hikers. Karen’s Wednesday walk was a wonderful adventure.